24 years after launch modder puts 3Dfx Voodoo4 GPU into a laptop

[harlan4096]

Laptop with Voodoo GPU now exists

We depart Computex for a minute for an update on the Voodoo 4 project, yes, the actual 3Dfx GPU.



A known modder has developed a PCB equipped with a Voodoo4 processor, matching to the MXM form factor, making it compatible with laptops that support this standard. However, the process was far from straightforward.

The Voodoo4 processor, released 24 years ago, was designed for power efficiency but never gained traction in the laptop market. The modder, “sdz,” shared his experience on the Vogons forums, detailing the steps and challenges he faced during the custom modification.


3Dfx Voodoo 4 MXM GPU, Source: sdz/Vogos

Despite the obstacles, sdz successfully created a working Voodoo4 GPU for laptops via the MXM connector. He designed a custom MXM carrier and utilized an FPGA to set up the necessary hardware and software connections, which was crucial for integrating such old hardware. The setup was made to work on Windows XP.


3Dfx Voodoo 4 MXM GPU, Source: sdz/Vogos

Being a mod, there was nothing stopping sdz from overclocking the unit and tweaking the specifications. Instead of the original 32MB VRAM, he doubled the capacity, and overclocked the GPU from 166 MHz to 192 MHz. This resulted in a score of 2035 points in 3DMark 2001 SE, the highest ever recorded for a single VSA-100 chip. Although this demonstration used a desktop with an MXM connector rather than a laptop, since the GPU couldn’t be overclocked in a laptop setup.
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